The One You Got Wrong
by Ganksters
Summary: I'm not sure when I first saw her, or if she was just always there, like the carpet or a painting, right there since forever but never really seen. No, I remember when I first noticed her.
1. Chapter 1: A Tutor

A book slammed down on the desk in front of me, knocking over my flash card castle I'd nearly completed. "You were wrong."

I looked up slowly over the scattered cards and stared at Graves exasperatedly.

"Did you have to throw the book at me? You could do serious damage with one of these." I reached for the text book and dragged it towards me. Chemistry. Not my favorite but I still had a minor in it, you know, just in case I wanted to get another masters in Chemical engineering. Or something.

The girl stared back at me without flinching. Her real name was Grace Graves, but for some reason she'd always been called just Graves.

"You were wrong and I almost failed the class because of you, Winchester."

I knew she was exaggerating, but I was curious. I'm a tutor after all, I'm never wrong.

"I was wrong? Me? You dare question my genius?"

"Me? No, Drae did though. We share the chemistry book and she found an error in the chicken scratch you wrote in the margins when you helped me with this question." Graves flipped the book open with another bang and found the page, turning the book towards me.

I examined my handwriting. Chicken scratch was a generous way to describe my penmanship, but as I looked over the problem I didn't see how my answer could be wrong.

Leaning back, I sighed. Graves typically tried to stump me about once a month, bringing in all manner of off the wall questions, riddles and equations. She succeeded now and then, but never when it came to serious college work.

"I don't follow, Graves, this is correct, your buddy is wrong."

"No, in fact she is not. I handed in this homework and got that question wrong." She speared the book with her finger. "Thanks a lot D-bag. Then Drae asked to see the original question and BAM, she figured it out and got the right answer, and pretty quick too. You're losing a step, old man."

I frowned. I wasn't perfect by any means, but I was pretty damn close when it came to all things mathematical. I didn't mind being wrong, but if it meant teaching a student a flawed concept that could trip them up in the future, then that was serious and wouldn't be tolerated.

"Well, anyway, I have to go, just wanted to inform you of your fumble." Graves reached for the book.

"Hang on," I pulled out my phone and took a photo of the text book page. "I want to see where I went wrong."

"Many places, to be sure. If you need it explained, Drae is over in the computer labs."

"Who is this Drae and why haven't I heard of her before?" I knew most of her group of friends. It wasn't big but they were super close nit and downright crazy. But in the best of ways.

"Because you haven't been listening. I've known her since like high school. And I know I've told you about how we all just moved in together."

I remember her mentioning something like that. 'All' must be Graves, Stag, and this Drae character. They used the strangest nicknames, and come to think if it, I didn't know what their birth names actually were…but I knew _of_ Stag, of course, she was a cheerful red head that was dating my best friend, the absentminded writer, Castiel.

"I guess I just have better things to think about." I said and dodged Graves' backhand.

"Well you can go say hi if you get stuck on that question you failed at." Graves said, scooping up and adding the text book to her arm load of notebooks and binders. "Catch you later, Sammy!"

"Bye Graves." I waved. Then I opened my phone and grabbed a stack of scratch paper, settling in to play games with numbers.


	2. Chapter 2: A Student

Damn. I'd been wrong. Me, Sam Winchester, had been wrong. It'd taken me a while to see my error, but I had been wrong. And that Drae had, first of all, deciphered my handwriting, then seen I'd made a mistake, and proceeded to answer it correctly, and quickly too, if Graves was to be believed. She must be a chemistry major or something, I thought, trying to make myself feel better. It didn't really work.

I looked around the tutoring center. It was pretty much empty but for a few dedicated students typing or scribbling away at homework.

"erm…Imma...If you have any questions, I'll be back in a few minutes." I said to the room. No one responded so I shuffled out on stiff legs.

The computer lab was a dingy room a few doors down from the tutoring center, with half a million rows of gigantic computer monitors. It was always a good 5-10 degrees hotter in the lab because of all the outdated computers sweating and slaving away trying to complete tasks ordered from them. For these reasons this lab was rarely occupied.

I poked my head in.

There was one person using the ancient computers. I had to assume this was Drae. She looked like someone who'd fit right in with Graves and Stag.

She sat slumped deep into the lumpy office chair, one leg drawn in close to her chest the other strung all the way out under the desk in front of her. The girl had dark hair that was cut short and unconsciously tucked behind each ear. Her dark eyebrows were pinched together as she stared intently at the computer screen, clicking rapidly on the mouse. She wore an over-sized sweater with a large, frankly awful, blue and gray plaid pattern. It looked like something you'd dig out of the back confines of a disreputable thrift store. Around her neck hung a long chain with a small glass bottle attached. I couldn't make out what exactly it held, but it was something greenish blue and liquid looking. As I looked at her, her eyes flicked up to meet mine. She stared at me for several moments before she broke eye contact and continued frowning at her screen.

"Can I help you?" the girl asked, without looking up again.

"I, um, yeah actually." I stepped into the room. "Are you Drae? I'm Sam, I know your friend Graves, and well, I actually know Stag too. Cas is my best friend."

She paused in her clicking and looked up at me from over the computer monitor, blinking slowly. Her eyes were a light blue that were impossible to read. "Yeah, I know."

I nodded, unsure of where to go with the conversation. "So yeah, Graves told me you helped her out with a chemistry question."

One eyebrow shot up and her face lifted into a half-smile. "The one you got wrong?"

I groaned, rolling my eyes "Yeah, the one, the only one, I got wrong that caused her to fail her whole class."

"Eh." She shrugged, looking back at her screen.

"But thanks for catching my mistake, you could probably tutor if you wanted extra money and have no social life."

She snorted out a laugh "Dude, I'm a college student, what even is a social life?"

I laughed too, "I hear you, I'm not even technically in college anymore but I still hang out here, what does that tell you about my social skills?"

"That they're probably as amazing as mine." She peeked at her battered phone, checking the time, "Speaking of which…" she stood and began dumping her things into a backpack unceremoniously.

"Oh yeah, I better go too, I'm supposed to be tutoring."

"Is that what you call it? Feeding poor students misinformation?" She was grinning widely at me and tucking a pen behind her ear.

"Only to Graves, she deserves it after all the hell she gives me." I said, watching her pack up.

"Well go on," She moved her hands in a quirky shooing motion, "Go do that thing you do."

I started, then backed out the door. "Seriously though, if you want to tutor, I'll hook you up. I'm drowning on test weeks."

"Dude no, I don't even like math."

"You don't? "

"psssh, no." she scoffed "I'm a marine bio major."

I stared hard at her, frowning. "Really?" This wisp of a girl had beat me at the numbers game and wasn't even a math major?

"Yep." She swung her bag over her shoulders and I was momentarily afraid it'd tip her over. "Or at least that's the plan for now."

I nodded, still frowning.

"Well, see you around." She edged past me and through the doorway.

"Yeah, good to meet you Drae." But she was already in the hall and walking away, baggy sweater and all.


	3. Chapter 3: An Invitation

"That's it, I'm done! All my exams are finished!" Graves sung, coming through the door into the Student Success Center, Stag and Castiel in tow.

"You mean, done with midterms." I corrected as she flopped into a chair across the table from me. I felt Graves don't-kill-my-buzz glare on my face as I quickly saved the post graduate paper I was working on. I turned to the group as the others took seats, offering my hand to Cas. "Hey Stags, Cas man, how you been?"

Cas took my hand and shook it firmly. "Hello Sam. I've been well."

"Hey Sam!" Stag said, giving me a wave and fluffing her red bangs with the other hand. "How are you?"

I wiped a hand across my face, "I'm good now that I've gotten all of you through midterms."

"Yes, Sam, God bless you, I would have shot myself if not for your epic skills."

"Sammy, you're a life saver."

"Your suggestions did improve my style."

And other words of gratitude gushed forth from the mouths of my friends. I guess these people were my friends, Cas was of course, had been since we both started college. But Graves had added me – somehow- to her group. Maybe added wasn't really accurate, more like, kidnapped, branded, and renamed. They were the kind of friends that just…happened. To you. Without your consent.

Stag turned to me. "Oh yeah, hey Sam, are you coming too? You asked him, right Cas?"

I crooked an eyebrow at the red head, looking suspiciously between her and Castiel. "Asked me what?"

Cas looked confused and muttered in a low voice, "Catherine, I don't remember what I was supposed to talk to Sam about." Stag patted him soothingly on the arm. I smiled, storing the information about Stag's true name. They seemed good together. Stag never lost patience with Castiel and both had a carefree innocence about them that refreshed the whole room.

Graves sat up. "Oh, we're having a bonfire thing at my place. I told you about it but I figured -correctly- that you'd forgotten so I told Cas to remind you."

I nodded, recalling something like that mentioned a few weeks back, a spring break get-together of the group that seemed to gravitate around Graves. Graves had a way of including everyone, I'd never been to her house before but as far as I understood it, the door was never locked, all were invited, and the backyard was legendary for its bonfires. I wasn't really the party going type, but the vibe was easy going and…authentic.

"Yeah, sure, when is this goin' down?"

Graves looked over at Stag, "I don't know, does tomorrow work?"

Stag shrugged. "Works for me, late afternoon, right?"

Graves nodded and grinned widely, voice pitching higher. "Cas can you please bring some of your honey nut bread? Stags, ask him, he can't say no to you."

Stag clasped her hands and assumed the praying position. "Oh my dear sweet Castiel, Angel of the Bakery, please, if it pleases thou, bring Graves, a humble and lowly creature, the goodness of your fruits. Please, Castiel, bring us lowest of low children your decadent creations." She batted her eyes and rainbows were literally shooting from them.

I laughed, more at Cas' astonished face than at the outburst, because such things were becoming normal to me. Rainbow-spewing eyes were normal. HAH, never saw that one coming. But then I remembered a detail.

"Hang on. I don't know if I can make it tomorrow, my brother, he's coming into town in the afternoon."

"So bring him along." Stag said, absently adjusting Cas' collar where it stuck up.

"Yes, I think Dean would like the fire pit experience, Sam." Cas said, eyes wide and sincere as he leaned closer so Stag could reach.

"That ok?" I asked towards Graves.

She nodded, standing and gathering her backpack. "Dude yes, more the merrier; I'll have a cold one ready for him."

"I'd be careful, he might marry you if you do that." I said, half laughing but then stopped, because it was somewhat true.

She swung the bag onto her shoulder, "I'd like to see him try, not just anyone can handle this." She jabbed thumbs towards herself. "So I'll see you guys tomorrow? Come by whenever, but the fire lights up at sundown!" Her eyebrows wagged and she shot us with finger guns as she backed out of the student center.

Yes, it would take quite a someone to handle that woman…she might even be too much for Dean.

I smiled, wouldn't that be a change.


	4. Chapter 4: A Brother

"Come on Sammy, don't look so constipated. It'll be good for me to meet your friends." Dean said, flicking a straw wrapper at my face before stabbing the straw through the lid. "You know, at least so they know not all Winchesters are first class nerds."

We were in my gray mustang headed to Graves' house. Dean had blown into the apartment complex's parking lot, rock music blaring, the black Impala glittering in the spring sunshine earlier that afternoon. At first, he'd been resistant to the idea of going to a 'lame college party', but as my new group of friends came up in conversation during lunch, Dean had seemed more and more interested in meeting them. Apparently anyone who could con me into going to a party was interesting in my brothers book.

"Dean, stop." I batted the straw wrapper off my seat. "And really? Only first class nerds would be as excited as you are about going to a bonfire. Just calm down and read me the directions." I tossed a piece of scratch paper into his lap.

"Directions? What, you can't put it into that fancy talking lady navigator thing? I told you there were crap, Sammy, gimmicky and unreliable."

Dean was always suspicious of cars with the onboard navigation systems. "Shhhhh don't talk about her like that, she'll get angry." I soothingly stroked the stirring wheel, biting back a smile. Dean shifted uncomfortably and unfolded the paper Graves had given me with the directions. "But yeah, Graves said there wouldn't be cell signal and if I did manage to have any, the address it'd take us to would be wrong."

Dean's sighed. "Ok man, looks like it's a ways on this road before you turn onto.." he squinted hard at the page, trying to decipher the scrawl that I recognized as Graves handwriting. "I think it says Martin St but it could also be Mary's St."

"Let me see." I tried snatching it from my brothers hands but he shoulder blocked me.

"No, that's not safe, just lemme. In a few mins look for a street that starts with 'M'."

I gritted my teeth against another grin, my brother and his car safety logic was not always... logical. "Alright man." I reached for the radio dials and started up a playlist from my phone. Bastille's hit Pompeii flowed through the speakers and I heard Dean grown and slump deeper into his seat.

"Dude, this is week ass rock music, no, it's not even rock, it's like, D-bag boy band pop." I felt his accusatory stare. Without turning towards him I held up a finger to silence his complaints.

"Um, I quote 'driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cake hole'." Dean hunched his shoulders and turned towards the window.

"Thought I taught you better, man."

I laughed out loud and turned the music up.


End file.
